Sponsor a Pig [General]
2012 Aug 1
I know I should not comment on this emotional news article but there are many more than 12 farms breeding Large Black. Heck I was one of them and Zym got my last one a year ago as I moved to Berkshire. Oh and my feed bill went up <10% last week but as opposed to being mean I will leave it at that. Not directed at you HFF as I knew this one would pop up by someone!
2012 Aug 1
I know the farmer in the article is a regular on this site so folks please be gentle :-)
I'm a bit confused by this quote "To let any of them go will compromise that to some degree and it will make me really sad"
They are being raised to eat, no? So they all "go", don't they?
Really this is no different from a veggie CSA model is it? Except that you might have a good idea up front what your return will be, so that is a plus. If you do the math and are happy with the price you'll be paying then go for it. I've looked at this pork in the past and it is a really great product but I can get something very similar at a better price elsewhere if I butcher it myself. Not everyone has that option.
Krusty, is your feed that went up in price certified organic? I know other organic farmers who have seen feed prices soar. That's the tough part. Personally I'd sooner just have ethically raised local, not necessarily certified organic. I'll sponsor some pigs if we can segregate them and give them less expensive regular feed, and I get a better price in the end. I don't think they get any more ethically raised than Ms Schaefer's.
I'm a bit confused by this quote "To let any of them go will compromise that to some degree and it will make me really sad"
They are being raised to eat, no? So they all "go", don't they?
Really this is no different from a veggie CSA model is it? Except that you might have a good idea up front what your return will be, so that is a plus. If you do the math and are happy with the price you'll be paying then go for it. I've looked at this pork in the past and it is a really great product but I can get something very similar at a better price elsewhere if I butcher it myself. Not everyone has that option.
Krusty, is your feed that went up in price certified organic? I know other organic farmers who have seen feed prices soar. That's the tough part. Personally I'd sooner just have ethically raised local, not necessarily certified organic. I'll sponsor some pigs if we can segregate them and give them less expensive regular feed, and I get a better price in the end. I don't think they get any more ethically raised than Ms Schaefer's.
2012 Aug 1
The Rare Breeds website only lists a dozen farms for Large Black - so I don't think the article is incorrect.
www.rarebreedscanada.ca
I don't eat meat, but have been wondering why more farms aren't reaching out to the public in this manner. I think it is something that the average person doesn't know about and now they will and maybe embrace it.
I think people are more open to connecting with farmers now than ever before and I really hope this works out for her regardless.
www.rarebreedscanada.ca
I don't eat meat, but have been wondering why more farms aren't reaching out to the public in this manner. I think it is something that the average person doesn't know about and now they will and maybe embrace it.
I think people are more open to connecting with farmers now than ever before and I really hope this works out for her regardless.
2012 Aug 1
I think this is as close to a meat stock market as we're going to get. Not to get greedy, but if we're paying to help feed the animal, why would that equate to an equal market value credit towards the meat? I'm assuming that her prices will have to rise accordingly, so we'll be paying for a credit towards the increades cost it seems...
2012 Aug 2
zymurgist
I think the quote that confused you is making reference to Genetic diversity. With such a rare breed you want to keep the bloodlines running smoothly. If she has to cull her herd prematurely she may lose breeding sows or boars before they have.. umm.. spread the maximum amount of genetic material. It's the same reason she imported some pigs from the States a couple years back, fresh bloodline.
Otherwise we end up with a bunch of pigs with webbed hooves and arms growing out of their back.
I think the quote that confused you is making reference to Genetic diversity. With such a rare breed you want to keep the bloodlines running smoothly. If she has to cull her herd prematurely she may lose breeding sows or boars before they have.. umm.. spread the maximum amount of genetic material. It's the same reason she imported some pigs from the States a couple years back, fresh bloodline.
Otherwise we end up with a bunch of pigs with webbed hooves and arms growing out of their back.
2012 Aug 2
HFF: rarebreedscanada.ca is not a comprehensive list, it is a list of those who choose to register and why I hate how the media writes articles. I have personally been in contact with >5 ppl who have bred large black who have nothing to do with registering with that site.
BTW EF....have you tasted the tender meat coming from the backarm?
BTW EF....have you tasted the tender meat coming from the backarm?
2012 Aug 2
I'm not surprised that it isn't a comprehensive list, on the other hand, how do you & your >5 people expect to be counted in the list if you aren't registered somewhere that the media can find you? Why don't you contact the writer of the article and offer your differing opinion? Otherwise the public will only see one side of the story.
2012 Aug 2
"Not to get greedy, but if we're paying to help feed the animal, why would that equate to an equal market value credit towards the meat? I'm assuming that her prices will have to rise accordingly, so we'll be paying for a credit towards the increades cost it seems..."
The way I read it was that if you give her $50 towards a meat animal you'll get a $50 credit towards meat when the animal goes to market. If the price has gone up by the time they go due to increased cost of feed and water you're still getting $50 worth of meat at the market value. Seems pretty fair to me since the alternative is her selling half her herd and there being less local pork in the fall.
The way I read it was that if you give her $50 towards a meat animal you'll get a $50 credit towards meat when the animal goes to market. If the price has gone up by the time they go due to increased cost of feed and water you're still getting $50 worth of meat at the market value. Seems pretty fair to me since the alternative is her selling half her herd and there being less local pork in the fall.
2012 Aug 2
Seems as though the issue here for the farmer is cash flow management. As my farming friends can attest to my rants, cash flow is one of the key items to make it through the good and bad.
Regarding writing the cbc to get a broader perspective is a larger rant of mine about Canadians. The majority tend to believe what they are told by the media or government without doing any critical thought or research as to the facts.
Regarding writing the cbc to get a broader perspective is a larger rant of mine about Canadians. The majority tend to believe what they are told by the media or government without doing any critical thought or research as to the facts.
2012 Aug 2
Krusty - Where is the alternative source of information that we are supposed to inform ourselves on? You've just said you and your friends aren't registered on rarebreeds, so how can the public find out information like that?
You can't blame all of this on just the farmer's bad resource planning. Isn't this year particularly bad due to the weather? What is the current good year vs bad year analysis? Aren't things in fact getting worse & droughts will be more common? Hard to plan for prolonged bad times. It isn't just the farming sector - it is all across the economy.
You can't blame all of this on just the farmer's bad resource planning. Isn't this year particularly bad due to the weather? What is the current good year vs bad year analysis? Aren't things in fact getting worse & droughts will be more common? Hard to plan for prolonged bad times. It isn't just the farming sector - it is all across the economy.
2012 Aug 2
HFF - you ask a good question not sure I have an easy answer as to how to get info. Just that the media is far from reliable in reporting a complete story!
I am not suggesting the farmer is a bad planner as I know many successful ones. But one must budget for variability in feed prices knowing sh*t happens. Sounds like she will have a market for her animals and will make a profit, but that she needs help covering the increase in costs until market time. Hence the cash flow problem.
Ironically my TX based coworker sold all 15 of his beef cattle as he was paying a whopping $200 a bale for hay which is normally in the $20 - $40 range.
I don't subscribe to the belief of hefty subsidization of farmers any more than I believe we should subsidize a plumber who cant solder a pipe for the life of them. Every farm can be a business or hobby and not every person is cut out to be a business person. Where I live there are very few farmers who could subsist on just farm income alone and have to work outside the farm. The ones who can are typically factory farms.
I am not suggesting the farmer is a bad planner as I know many successful ones. But one must budget for variability in feed prices knowing sh*t happens. Sounds like she will have a market for her animals and will make a profit, but that she needs help covering the increase in costs until market time. Hence the cash flow problem.
Ironically my TX based coworker sold all 15 of his beef cattle as he was paying a whopping $200 a bale for hay which is normally in the $20 - $40 range.
I don't subscribe to the belief of hefty subsidization of farmers any more than I believe we should subsidize a plumber who cant solder a pipe for the life of them. Every farm can be a business or hobby and not every person is cut out to be a business person. Where I live there are very few farmers who could subsist on just farm income alone and have to work outside the farm. The ones who can are typically factory farms.
2012 Aug 3
As a follow-up, there was a huge response to the above article. People in and outside of Ottawa stepped up to help:
www.cbc.ca
Krusty - Obviously the media presents one side of the story -the side that will get people reading. If you aren't willing to voice your opinion then you can't blame the public for not knowing there is more to the story.
As for subsidization, I'm don't know enough to say yes or not. I work in the tech sector in a start-up. This is my 2nd one, sold the first a few years ago. My company takes advantage of government subsidies and the government provides many incentives for tech R&D in Canada. We boot-strap, so we don't take any capital or investments from private sector, but we do take everything we qualify for from the public sector. Maybe if plumbers qualified, they'd take advantage too.
www.cbc.ca
Krusty - Obviously the media presents one side of the story -the side that will get people reading. If you aren't willing to voice your opinion then you can't blame the public for not knowing there is more to the story.
As for subsidization, I'm don't know enough to say yes or not. I work in the tech sector in a start-up. This is my 2nd one, sold the first a few years ago. My company takes advantage of government subsidies and the government provides many incentives for tech R&D in Canada. We boot-strap, so we don't take any capital or investments from private sector, but we do take everything we qualify for from the public sector. Maybe if plumbers qualified, they'd take advantage too.
2012 Aug 3
Organic Girl - please say something. I'm interested in your view & experience.
I don't have a problem with farm subsidies and government help. I hope more happens this year to compensate for the weather. I would rather the government give a bailout to farmers than to GM and the big banks.
I don't have a problem with farm subsidies and government help. I hope more happens this year to compensate for the weather. I would rather the government give a bailout to farmers than to GM and the big banks.
2012 Aug 3
hipfunkyfun brought up a good point of government subsidies. Personally I'm pretty much against them right across the board (and especially for high tech) because they inevitably come down to some sort of vote buying scheme or another, but one place I think they could belong before any other is in the farming industry. There is not a government in this country who seems to take food security seriously, but with droughts like this one becoming the norm it is going to become more and more a priority. But by then it will be too late.
2012 Aug 3
My two cents as someone who has purchased nothing but locally farmed, pastured meat for the past 5 years...
Large Black is not what I would call a rare breed, the majority of the farmers I come across have Large Black, Duroc or Landrace (or a cross) for sale. I myself am interested in sides of Tamworth which is actually difficult to find and I'm usually on a 6 month plus waiting list.
Because of this I find the idea of being reluctant to sell part of her herd because of the "rarity of the breed" laughable. She wants to pre-sell the pork to cover the cost of feed, fine, just say so as do many other farmers and leave out the contrived emotional plea. One of the farmers I deal with asked for a 50% deposit in the spring for pork delivered in the fall, the money to be used for feeding the animal -- no CBC news coverage necessary.
Lastly, it would be forthright to come out and state a price per pound that the 'sponsorship' is being based upon. This year I've seen prices of ~$5.50/lb for a half Tamworth (what I consider to be rare) which includes cutting, wrapping and smoking of bacon, jowl and hocks. The website for Upper Canada Heritage Meat speaks only of sponsorship but says nothing of the cost. Are they looking for the same price per pound that they charge for a full pig, including cutting and wrapping? Or will 'sponsors' be paying still more because this is after all about saving a rare breed from extinction in Canada?
Curious: I seem to recall that Upper Canada Heritage Meat sells to a number of restaurants. Wouldn't approaching them for these sponsorships be the first order of business and if they're not going for it, why not?
Large Black is not what I would call a rare breed, the majority of the farmers I come across have Large Black, Duroc or Landrace (or a cross) for sale. I myself am interested in sides of Tamworth which is actually difficult to find and I'm usually on a 6 month plus waiting list.
Because of this I find the idea of being reluctant to sell part of her herd because of the "rarity of the breed" laughable. She wants to pre-sell the pork to cover the cost of feed, fine, just say so as do many other farmers and leave out the contrived emotional plea. One of the farmers I deal with asked for a 50% deposit in the spring for pork delivered in the fall, the money to be used for feeding the animal -- no CBC news coverage necessary.
Lastly, it would be forthright to come out and state a price per pound that the 'sponsorship' is being based upon. This year I've seen prices of ~$5.50/lb for a half Tamworth (what I consider to be rare) which includes cutting, wrapping and smoking of bacon, jowl and hocks. The website for Upper Canada Heritage Meat speaks only of sponsorship but says nothing of the cost. Are they looking for the same price per pound that they charge for a full pig, including cutting and wrapping? Or will 'sponsors' be paying still more because this is after all about saving a rare breed from extinction in Canada?
Curious: I seem to recall that Upper Canada Heritage Meat sells to a number of restaurants. Wouldn't approaching them for these sponsorships be the first order of business and if they're not going for it, why not?
2012 Aug 4
There are some CSA that include meat.
If she want to presell some of her meat that is fine and it is a slightly different business model. But she is also asking for a handout - i.e. donations...
There are good years and bad years in farming and if you cannot borrow against the produce i.e. presell or loan, then she need to examine if she has the capital, cashflow and profit to stay in business long term.
If she want to presell some of her meat that is fine and it is a slightly different business model. But she is also asking for a handout - i.e. donations...
There are good years and bad years in farming and if you cannot borrow against the produce i.e. presell or loan, then she need to examine if she has the capital, cashflow and profit to stay in business long term.
2012 Aug 10
I’ve been asked, so like it or not, here is what I think. ;-)
Subsidies – A business that needs subsidies is a business that didn’t plan well, or a business that maybe shouldn’t be. Disaster or Emergency Relief is a whole other thing. Any farmer worth their salt will have saved up extra hay/feed/cash for drought or other hurdles that come along. I mean, common, we farmers are notorious for complaining about having to work with the whims of weather, so we should not be surprised when bad weather comes. Get crop or livestock insurance, or start a CSA where the customer shares the bounty or risk. It’s not complicated. If a farmer only raises what they can sell, no need to have fire sales, or emotional pleas for help. The best insurance is a great product that you can’t keep in stock.
But maybe I'm wrong, and I should call the media and have a 'sponsor a well' program. Our well went dry on Monday, and we've be struggling to manage that problem (it will cost some heavy coin to fix it), but don't desire any media involvement. Media tends to be a double edged sword, and we're already sold out of most of what we produce, especially pork. Media will only gather donations, not loyal customers. Send donations to Africa where they really hurting, not here. Besides, government handouts can prevent friends and neighbours from helping out. When our well our well went dry this week, we hardly had time to figure out what to do before friends showed up with pumps, generators and water tanks that we were able fill with water elsewhere. The phone rang numerous times each day, folks asking if they could help somehow. If the government had stepped in, would that have happened? Maybe, maybe not.
Rare Breeds – All purebred animals should be registered with the Canadian Livestock Records Corporation. Rare Breeds is a whole other organization, and their records are NOT up to date, as they are having some web issues (according to the office secretary). Otherwise our farm would be listed correctly, and would have us listed for Tamworth and Berkshire pigs, not just Dexter cows. We registered with Rare Breeds because our farm likes the work that they do towards education and preservation of rare livestock breeds. They have a great magazine too. You don’t have to be a farmer to join them. They could use all the support you can offer.
Registered livestock – There are lots of folks out there who have no interest in registering their purebred pigs, or the offspring. I can assure you that there are far more than a dozen farms with English Large Black pigs. It a bit like those who are organic, but don't certify.
Genetic Diversity – Last Barbara told me, there are only about 6 lines in the English Large Black. A farmer need not keep 300 pigs to maintain diversity, especially when times are tough. Keep the breeding stock, and sell the offspring. When things improve, keep the new offspring for new lines. Pigs breed like rabbits. A good healthy sow will give you about 10 – 15 healthy fit piglets twice per year. Ours certainly do, same with all the other heritage pig breeders I know.
Feed Prices – There is no question that feed prices are going up. Here’s a few examples of the certified organic soy-free feed we buy:
Hog grower per tonne in September 2011 was $607.64
Hog grower per tonne in May 2012 was $751.58
Hog grower per tonne in August 2012 is $824.54
That's over 30%, I think, and prices will be going up again in September when the corn harvest (or lack of corn harvest) comes in. So yeah, prices go up. I tell my customers, and I raise the price if I have to. But I can also do other things on my farm to protect myself from these market fluctuations. I can diversify. If the pork market bottoms out, I sell more chicken. If chicken is not the place to make a profit, I focus on the herbs, etc, etc. Diversity is safety. This works exactly the same if it not market instability, but problems related to weather and food shortages.
Not sure if this is the place to speak openly about what I actually think of the ‘sponsor a pig’ plan or Barbara’s farming methods, but I will say this.
Barbara is a neighbour of mine, lives a few minutes away. My husband and I met her about two months after she moved on to her farm. I like her, she’s funny, very smart, and more often than not smiling. Her kids are nice (I’ve met 2/3 of them), and she has an amazing talent for getting press. I mean a REALLY impressive talent for this. This could be a sideline business for her, she is that good at it. I think that many struggling farmers with excellent product could learn valuable lessons from her.
However, that being said, I do NOT like how she farms (most of her neighbours have told me the same). It would behoove any person who wants to buy or sponsor her pigs to go and see her farm and ask very detailed questions about her farming practices. Or, ask her neighbours. The media does not have all the information, and this is not the place to share it.
It is my thought (and I’ve said this in other posts) that a farmer can do just about anything that tickles their fancy: grow organically, chemically, ethically, unethically, whatever. It is their freedom to do so. The only thing I wish all farmers would do (and most of them do) is TELL their customers what they are doing. The good, and the bad. Let the customer make the choice.
As another farmer pointed out to me, she gets lot of ink, but never does it say: “My pork is the best pork you’ll ever taste, and I have lots of repeat customers that will also tell you it’s the best.” It’s always a plea to save the pig. Well, here’s the thing - really tasty pigs,,, they don’t need saving. They sell themselves.
Subsidies – A business that needs subsidies is a business that didn’t plan well, or a business that maybe shouldn’t be. Disaster or Emergency Relief is a whole other thing. Any farmer worth their salt will have saved up extra hay/feed/cash for drought or other hurdles that come along. I mean, common, we farmers are notorious for complaining about having to work with the whims of weather, so we should not be surprised when bad weather comes. Get crop or livestock insurance, or start a CSA where the customer shares the bounty or risk. It’s not complicated. If a farmer only raises what they can sell, no need to have fire sales, or emotional pleas for help. The best insurance is a great product that you can’t keep in stock.
But maybe I'm wrong, and I should call the media and have a 'sponsor a well' program. Our well went dry on Monday, and we've be struggling to manage that problem (it will cost some heavy coin to fix it), but don't desire any media involvement. Media tends to be a double edged sword, and we're already sold out of most of what we produce, especially pork. Media will only gather donations, not loyal customers. Send donations to Africa where they really hurting, not here. Besides, government handouts can prevent friends and neighbours from helping out. When our well our well went dry this week, we hardly had time to figure out what to do before friends showed up with pumps, generators and water tanks that we were able fill with water elsewhere. The phone rang numerous times each day, folks asking if they could help somehow. If the government had stepped in, would that have happened? Maybe, maybe not.
Rare Breeds – All purebred animals should be registered with the Canadian Livestock Records Corporation. Rare Breeds is a whole other organization, and their records are NOT up to date, as they are having some web issues (according to the office secretary). Otherwise our farm would be listed correctly, and would have us listed for Tamworth and Berkshire pigs, not just Dexter cows. We registered with Rare Breeds because our farm likes the work that they do towards education and preservation of rare livestock breeds. They have a great magazine too. You don’t have to be a farmer to join them. They could use all the support you can offer.
Registered livestock – There are lots of folks out there who have no interest in registering their purebred pigs, or the offspring. I can assure you that there are far more than a dozen farms with English Large Black pigs. It a bit like those who are organic, but don't certify.
Genetic Diversity – Last Barbara told me, there are only about 6 lines in the English Large Black. A farmer need not keep 300 pigs to maintain diversity, especially when times are tough. Keep the breeding stock, and sell the offspring. When things improve, keep the new offspring for new lines. Pigs breed like rabbits. A good healthy sow will give you about 10 – 15 healthy fit piglets twice per year. Ours certainly do, same with all the other heritage pig breeders I know.
Feed Prices – There is no question that feed prices are going up. Here’s a few examples of the certified organic soy-free feed we buy:
Hog grower per tonne in September 2011 was $607.64
Hog grower per tonne in May 2012 was $751.58
Hog grower per tonne in August 2012 is $824.54
That's over 30%, I think, and prices will be going up again in September when the corn harvest (or lack of corn harvest) comes in. So yeah, prices go up. I tell my customers, and I raise the price if I have to. But I can also do other things on my farm to protect myself from these market fluctuations. I can diversify. If the pork market bottoms out, I sell more chicken. If chicken is not the place to make a profit, I focus on the herbs, etc, etc. Diversity is safety. This works exactly the same if it not market instability, but problems related to weather and food shortages.
Not sure if this is the place to speak openly about what I actually think of the ‘sponsor a pig’ plan or Barbara’s farming methods, but I will say this.
Barbara is a neighbour of mine, lives a few minutes away. My husband and I met her about two months after she moved on to her farm. I like her, she’s funny, very smart, and more often than not smiling. Her kids are nice (I’ve met 2/3 of them), and she has an amazing talent for getting press. I mean a REALLY impressive talent for this. This could be a sideline business for her, she is that good at it. I think that many struggling farmers with excellent product could learn valuable lessons from her.
However, that being said, I do NOT like how she farms (most of her neighbours have told me the same). It would behoove any person who wants to buy or sponsor her pigs to go and see her farm and ask very detailed questions about her farming practices. Or, ask her neighbours. The media does not have all the information, and this is not the place to share it.
It is my thought (and I’ve said this in other posts) that a farmer can do just about anything that tickles their fancy: grow organically, chemically, ethically, unethically, whatever. It is their freedom to do so. The only thing I wish all farmers would do (and most of them do) is TELL their customers what they are doing. The good, and the bad. Let the customer make the choice.
As another farmer pointed out to me, she gets lot of ink, but never does it say: “My pork is the best pork you’ll ever taste, and I have lots of repeat customers that will also tell you it’s the best.” It’s always a plea to save the pig. Well, here’s the thing - really tasty pigs,,, they don’t need saving. They sell themselves.
2012 Aug 10
"If a farmer only raises what they can sell, no need to have fire sales, or emotional pleas for help. The best insurance is a great product that you can’t keep in stock."
Thank you, organicgirl, for tactfully stating what others on this forum were already thinking... hardly a surprise to hear that you're sold out of pork this year...
Thank you, organicgirl, for tactfully stating what others on this forum were already thinking... hardly a surprise to hear that you're sold out of pork this year...
2012 Aug 10
Good overview and information OG, well said.
I agree if there was a catastrophic act of good on par with frost taking entire orange crop in Florida or tornado wiping out something in the midwest or Katrina flooding New Orleans and surrounding areas, emergency relief is necessary and correct initiative. But the normal ebb and flow of farming prices for products and inputs, that is part of handling your business.
Glad that friends and neighbour helped out on your well problem until it can be resolved.
I agree if there was a catastrophic act of good on par with frost taking entire orange crop in Florida or tornado wiping out something in the midwest or Katrina flooding New Orleans and surrounding areas, emergency relief is necessary and correct initiative. But the normal ebb and flow of farming prices for products and inputs, that is part of handling your business.
Glad that friends and neighbour helped out on your well problem until it can be resolved.
2012 Aug 12
lol, zymergist! Barbara is from UCHM. Her specialty (as I gather it from what she’s told me, the media, and her website) is a CSA program with heritage breeds, quite possibly the only one like it in area. She raises English Large Blacks for pork, and did have Lincoln Red cattle at one point, but not sure if they are at her farm this year, ask Barbara. She came to visit me at my farmers market stall yesterday (maybe because of this thread here) and did mention she no longer has the Chantecler chickens, but I would still consider her to be a predominantly heritage breed farm. Her other real claim to fame is local. If you are a diehard locavore, she may be the farmer for you! But, like her farming practices, best to ask her directly what she is doing on her farm. Each year brings new challenges to a farm, and things can change.
I, organicgirl, am Samantha from Funny Duck Farms. Our big thing is organic. We strive to meet and exceed organic regulations. We make sure all our animals have loads of space, live the way nature intended, always rotate pastures so pigs are never in the same place each summer, and winter areas are rested and re-seeded before pigs return. Assuming there is no drought, we have our cows on intensive rotational grazing, same with the hens and broiler chickens.
We constantly work on building up and revitalizing the soil. There wasn’t any here when we bought this farm, but our animals have really helped us in that regard. We will always be grateful to them. We have never had to use or rely on chemical wormers, antibiotics, vaccines, herbicides, fungicides, etc. We use natural herbs and homeopathy and great living conditions to keep animals fit, vibrant, and prevent health problems.
We do raise some rare breeds, like our Dexter cows and Berkshire pigs, but we’ve discontinued the purebred Tamworths, because we weren’t as happy with them as we were with the Berks. We tried English Large Blacks too, but Berks are the best as far our customers tell us.
Our other specialty is soy-free feed. We do not use any soy beans in our animals feeds. Our customers do not eat soy, and they don’t want it in the animals or eggs they eat either.
I would say the majority of feed we use is produced locally, and if not local, it is Canadian. Because our feed must be certified organic, it is very problematic to get 100% of our grain locally. However, I am not a diehard locavore. Maybe I would be if I could buy locally made cars, clothes, computers, bananas, coffee, chocolate, paper, garbage bags, etc. I think local is great, and we need it to revitalize the economy, but it is local organic that is going to keep us all healthy enough to enjoy that revitalization. Local GMO heavily sprayed corn and soy do nothing to improve my childrens health, the soil, or the water. So for me, organic often trumps local.
But as I said before, there are loads of farms out there to feed the hungry public. And the best part is each farm is different and unique, which leaves many, many choices for that very hungry public!
Johanna, have you tried Pork of Yore? They have Tamworth and Berkshire, and they attend the Carp Farmers Market and the Lansdowne Market. I have the phone numbers of a few other Tamworth producers as well. Send me a message and I can give you the information.
FoodTravel, We were truly overwhelmed by the help and support of friends, neighbours and other farmers when our water trouble started. Such a blessing. In fact, we even started getting phone calls from folks who had heard about it and were upset that we hadn't yet called them for help!
I, organicgirl, am Samantha from Funny Duck Farms. Our big thing is organic. We strive to meet and exceed organic regulations. We make sure all our animals have loads of space, live the way nature intended, always rotate pastures so pigs are never in the same place each summer, and winter areas are rested and re-seeded before pigs return. Assuming there is no drought, we have our cows on intensive rotational grazing, same with the hens and broiler chickens.
We constantly work on building up and revitalizing the soil. There wasn’t any here when we bought this farm, but our animals have really helped us in that regard. We will always be grateful to them. We have never had to use or rely on chemical wormers, antibiotics, vaccines, herbicides, fungicides, etc. We use natural herbs and homeopathy and great living conditions to keep animals fit, vibrant, and prevent health problems.
We do raise some rare breeds, like our Dexter cows and Berkshire pigs, but we’ve discontinued the purebred Tamworths, because we weren’t as happy with them as we were with the Berks. We tried English Large Blacks too, but Berks are the best as far our customers tell us.
Our other specialty is soy-free feed. We do not use any soy beans in our animals feeds. Our customers do not eat soy, and they don’t want it in the animals or eggs they eat either.
I would say the majority of feed we use is produced locally, and if not local, it is Canadian. Because our feed must be certified organic, it is very problematic to get 100% of our grain locally. However, I am not a diehard locavore. Maybe I would be if I could buy locally made cars, clothes, computers, bananas, coffee, chocolate, paper, garbage bags, etc. I think local is great, and we need it to revitalize the economy, but it is local organic that is going to keep us all healthy enough to enjoy that revitalization. Local GMO heavily sprayed corn and soy do nothing to improve my childrens health, the soil, or the water. So for me, organic often trumps local.
But as I said before, there are loads of farms out there to feed the hungry public. And the best part is each farm is different and unique, which leaves many, many choices for that very hungry public!
Johanna, have you tried Pork of Yore? They have Tamworth and Berkshire, and they attend the Carp Farmers Market and the Lansdowne Market. I have the phone numbers of a few other Tamworth producers as well. Send me a message and I can give you the information.
FoodTravel, We were truly overwhelmed by the help and support of friends, neighbours and other farmers when our water trouble started. Such a blessing. In fact, we even started getting phone calls from folks who had heard about it and were upset that we hadn't yet called them for help!
hipfunkyfun
www.cbc.ca